Will Hughes fulfilling his potential while leading Watford back towards the Premier League

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After breaking into the Derby County first team at the age of just 17, it was impossible to think Will Hughes would still be playing in the Championship almost a decade later.

The technically gifted midfielder was linked with high-profile transfers to Liverpool, Manchester United and Barcelona after establishing himself as one of the most eye-catching players in the Championship during his time at Pride Park.

His ability to drift into and between tight spaces in the type of agricultural midfield battles that were a common appearance in the second tier at the time was just as noticeable as the shock of blond hair on his head, and with Andres Iniesta and Xavi cited as major influences on his playing style, Hughes was highlighted as a potential figurehead to help revolutionise the England national team in the future.

Despite attracting national attention with his 23 appearances for the England under-21 side, the midfielder remained loyal to Derby as they came agonisingly close to being promoted to the Premier League under the management of Steve McClaren.

He was named in the Championship Team of the Season in the 2013/14 season for his energetic yet elegant performances in an impressive Rams midfield. Although Derby lost to QPR in the Play-Off Final at Wembley, a big move was seemingly just a matter of time from materialising.

It was in fact McClaren who left for the Premier League first, joining Newcastle in the summer of 2015 after failing to guide Derby to promotion once again.

The opening day of the following season saw disaster strike for Hughes. The midfielder damaged his anterior cruciate ligament in a goalless draw at Bolton, ruling him out for over nine months and significantly halting the progress of McClaren’s successor Paul Clement.

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Hughes was still only 20 by the time he returned from the setback and had made well over 100 Championship appearances for Derby, indicating it might only have been a minor setback had he returned in the right environment.

However, after only being able to play a small part as the Rams lost to Hull in the 2016 Play-Offs, the team’s style of play changed significantly under both Nigel Pearson and his replacement Gary Rowett.

He ended up joining Watford in the summer of 2017 in a deal that suited all parties – Derby got £8million for a player their manager deemed a saleable asset, Watford got a midfielder who had not so long ago been linked with Europe’s elite, and Hughes finally got an opportunity to play in the top flight.

Despite picking up a goal and an assist in one of his first games for the Hornets against West Ham in November 2017, his maiden season at Vicarage Road was interrupted by a hamstring injury and managerial instability courtesy of Everton’s attempts to poach head coach Marco Silva.

Hughes played in a number of midfield roles throughout his time with Derby and the England youth sides, and Silva’s replacement Javi Gracia decided to field him in wide areas was the best way to find a place for him in the team with Etienne Capoue and Abdoulaye Doucoure impressing in central midfield.

Hughes started 30 Premier League games in Gracia’s sole full season in charge and played in Watford’s FA Cup Final defeat to Manchester City, but although he was a competent and consistent performer on the right side of midfield, he was hardly influencing games to the extent he had in those breakout years at Derby.

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A reunion with Pearson last season did see him reverted to a central position, but relegation on the final day of the season against Arsenal meant it was hardly a stellar campaign for anyone associated with the club.

Hughes played just 54 minutes of Championship football under Vladimir Ivic at the start of this season after undergoing surgery on an unspecified injury that he had been playing through in the summer due to his desire to try and help the team remain in the Premier League.

Since making his first start of the season in a 1-0 win against Barnsley on January 19th, Watford have won 11 of their 15 games to establish themselves as the main contenders to gain automatic promotion alongside league leaders Norwich City.

Manager Xisco Munoz has settled on a 4-3-3 formation that has seen Hughes utilised in a central role, and his performances have been a driving factor behind the recent run of good form.

“The team now has a good balance in attack and defence, and we are building with other situations, other systems until the final.

“We will see. It’s important to have different flexibility and situations in the games. I have very good players and I can use one system, another system. But I’m happy with this system because we have very good performances and more near what we want in terms of our tactics.”

Watford manager Xisco Munoz

He has scored twice since returning to action, including a strike against former side Derby in February, and has looked back to being the player that was once so impressive for the Rams whilst also adding some new-found defensive aspects to his game.

Not only has Hughes benefitted from the change of formation under Munoz, but the front three of Ken Sema, Joao Pedro and Ismaila Sarr have thrived in the absence of injured captain Troy Deeney, scoring 15 goals between them since the change of management and providing an attacking threat that simply was not there under Ivic.

On Friday, Hughes and Watford take on a Sheffield Wednesday side that look destined for relegation before their victory against Barnsley before the International break.

Darren Moore had been without a win in his first four games in charge after becoming the Owls’ third manager of the season at the start of March, leaving them on a run of eight games without a win as relegation began to look more and more likely.

The win at Oakwell against one of the Championship’s in-form sides has inspired belief that Wednesday still have time to save themselves, with Jordan Rhodes’ brace providing hope that the second division’s joint-third lowest scorers might start finding the back of the net on a more regular basis.

“We have to make sure that we are operating at our level best again and try and build on the performance we put in before the international break.

“Winning breeds confidence. I was pleased for the players that they felt the adulation of three points. Nothing is better for a professional when you earn three points and it’s a real tough game.

“But we know we have got another tough test tomorrow. We have to be strong and positive.”

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore

They remain six points from safety and have only won four times on the road all season suggesting a trip to Vicarage Road to face the side with the best home record in the division will be a tough test, but with the end of the season now in sight, Moore and his players will be hoping the form book goes out of the window.

Watford will be expecting to collect all three points to strengthen their grip on automatic promotion, but with Wednesday in desperate need of points, it may not be so straightforward.

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